Ice-tongs.



N0. 781,174. PATENTED JANn 31, 1905. J. L. BANGLEY.

ICE TONGS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22, 1904.

M Qwuemtoz 5 M r JWML'BWQY UNITED STATE Patented January 31, 1905.-

PATENT OFFICE.

lCE-TONGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 781,174, dated January 31, 1905. Application filed June 22, 1904. Serial No. 213,649.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH L. BANGLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Suffolk, in the county of Nansemond and State of Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Ice-Tongs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to ice-tongs; and the principal object of said invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, and durable implement for household use.

Another object of the invention is to provide an implement'of the character referred to which will be lightin weight, easy to operate, and which may be utilized as a carrier for watermelons.

Still anotherobject is to provide an ice-tong which can be used in handling large or small pieces of ice, which may be manufactured at slight cost, and which will be practically automatic in its operationthat is to say, the jaws of the tongs will engage the ice or melon by its inherent resiliency and when the load is lifted the prongs of the jaws will bite or penetrate to give a secure hold and the jaws may be released by a downward pressure upon the handle of the tongs.

These objects are attained by means of the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view of a pair of ice-tongs made in accordance with my invention and showingthe relative position of the tongs when engaged with a comparatively small piece of ice. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the tongs when utilized to lift a larger piece of ice. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view showing a modified form of'prongs which may be adopted to render the device serviceable as a melon-carrier.

In manufacturing my invention I take a piece of spring-wire of the required gage and length, and the prongs 1 are formed upon the ends thereof. The length of wire is then passed into a hollow handle 2, and when said handle is at the center of the wire strand the legs 3 I are bent in a-curve leading out of the handle and extending to the point 5, from whence the arms are extended in a straight ends of the arms.

line to the point 6 and from thence in a straight line to the point 7, the prongs 1 being bent inward at a right angle to the lower The part 8 of the arms of the tongs between the points 5 and 6 is straight, and also the part 9 of the arms between the points 6 and 7 is straight. By means of these bends and straight portions the tongs are oapable of greater scope in handling square cakes of ice, whether large or small, and the straight portions also serve as cams to bear against the top edge of the ice when the tongs are pushed downward to release the prongs 1 from the ice. The legs 3 4 cross each other at a suitable point, and a guide or ring 10 is bent around the two members at the point of crossing. This ring or guide permits a free movement of the legs and performs the function of a guide to insure the correct movement of the legs in engaging and disengaging the ice. This sliding guide is deemed necessary in a device of this character, and owing to the fact that the legs'3 4 are permitted to slide freely through it the spring action of the arms is not interfered with, and thus the entire length of each leg from the handle to the prongs serves as a spring to give increased scope to the tongs.

This device is also useful in carrying watermelons, and for such use it may be deemed advisable to split the wire at the prong ends and then bend the points outward, as shown in Fig. 8, this feature serving to prevent the melon from turning or swiveling upon the prongs.

In grasping a piece of ice with my tongs it is only necessary to engage one of the prongs in the side of the cake of ice and then open the jaws by a downward pressure upon the handle until the other prong slides over the top of the cake and" catches in the side, when a lift on the handle insures a firm grasp of the cake. When it is desired to release the tongs from the ice, a downward pressure on the handle 2 forces the jaws apart by means of the cam 8 riding on the edge of the cake, as will be readily understood upon reference to the drawings.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that minating in .prongs, and a sliding ring or guide at the intersection of the legs.

3. In an ice-tong, a cam-surface on the legs which serves to open the jaws When downward pressure is exerted upon the handle.

4. An ice-tong made of a single piece of wire and having cross-legs, two cam-surfaces on each leg, and a sliding guide-ring surrounding the legs at their intersection.

JOSEPH L. BA NGLEY.

Witnesses:

J AS. H. BLAOKWOOD, LYNDHURST J. MoGEE. 

